Mary P. Watson
Resources and Links
Biography
(b. 1977) A.B., 2000 Harvard University; Ph.D., 2006 University of California, Irvine; NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, 2006 - 2009, Harvard University
Research Overview
The M. Watson Research Group is focused on the development of new transition metal-catalyzed reactions for organic synthesis. Recognizing the evolution of pharmaceuticals towards higher content of C(sp3) centers, including stereocenters, we are developing new methods and new reagents for the efficient construction of C(sp3) bonds. In one area, we are developing alkyl alcohol and amine derivatives as cross-coupling electrophiles. Amines and alcohols are traditionally seen as synthetic targets, not substrates. However, because of the variety available (including enantioenriched variants) and their ease of synthesis, the development of new chemistry can make them powerful reagents for asymmetric synthesis, such as all-carbon quaternary stereocenter (quat center) formation. The group is also developing chemistry to transform amino groups (NH2) of alkyl amines into a variety of substituents, enabling alkyl amines with unactivated alkyl groups to be viewed as alkyl electrophiles. In a final area, we are developing new methods for enantioselective reactions of cationic intermediates using chiral transition metal catalysts. These reactions deliver valuable heterocycles. This research will lead to the development of new methods for the synthesis of biologically active molecules and other important materials. The development of these methods will also provide a platform for mechanistic investigations, which will provide a deeper understanding of how these catalysts interact with substrates and enable the design of future catalysts.
